Carb Float Pins

[Jonesy]

yeah Pat, it can be used with all the carbs together, plenty of room for tool between carbs

[ribbert]

Noel

[ribbert]

I would very strongly advice you not to use a tool that will give you a mechanical advantage like a press. 
George

Yes, I agree!

I wasn't going to comment on this, that is, until everyone got excited about having one.

Although I don't really see the need for it, the tool is a great bit of design, but the tool is not the problem. It is capable of exerting a force that in the hands of someone without the "feel" it's possible to do a lot of damage and of course no one is going to admit they don't have the "feel"

There are few things to consider here:


3.  Is the whole post breaking fear over rated? Yes.  Anyone using tools or methods capable of snapping off the post just to remove a small pin that is never THAT tight should hand their tools in at the nearest Police Station.

7.   If you don't have enough feel to tap the pins out without putting the posts at risk, you certainly don't have enough feel to be let loose with this.

9.   Do people on this site have too much time on their hands and a penchant for FJ specific gadgets? Yes.
10.  Do people on the site ignore advice from someone with decades of full time experience in favour of back yarder's and shadetree mechanics? Yes.
10a.Are people still going to rush out and buy this in droves? Yes.
11.  Am I wasting my breath? Yes.
12.  Do I care? No, I've done my bit.
13.  Can I believe I've just written this much about knocking a little pin out of a hole? No.
14.  Are points 9 - 13 tongue in cheek? Yes.
Are people going to enjoy telling me they used it successfully? Yes.
Are people going to report on the forum if they didn't? No.

I have no doubt this tool is safe in the hands of its creator but most of you never get to see just how ham fisted and totally lacking in manual dexterity some people are.
The pins are not that tight and the posts are not that fragile.
Or, as many have mentioned, take them out once and make them floating pins, the bowl will keep them in place.


Noel

[FJ_Hooligan]

I broke a float post once on a really nasty set of carbs.  Turns out the pin was not stuck in the post but was instead glued to the float by dried fuel varnish.  I had to peal the curved metal of the float off of the pin.  Neither item was serviceable upon disassembly.  Fortunately, I had an extra carb body.

[Pat Conlon]

I don't agree with the floating pin idea... Yes, the sides of the bowl will keep the float from backing 'completely out' sure, I agree, but all you need to have happen is to have that pin back out 2mm and you will lose support on one side of the float pivot. There is enough clearance between the bowl and pin for this to happen.
Having a float unable to completely close the needle, causing a free flow ...is a pain to avoid.

[racerrad8]

Stop the presses, the world must be skewed...

Noel and I have an actual agreement on two things since he has returned...

Glad to see nothing's changed in my absence. First technical post in many months and it draws flak! 

3.  Is the whole post breaking fear over rated? Yes.

But, back to the topic at hand. I have been doing my end of the year paperwork and I noted that I have rebuilt 238 banks for carbs in 2013. That equals 952 float pins I removed with nothing more than an automatic center punch just like the one below.
Spring Loaded Center Punch

I did not break a single float post, in fact I have never broken one in my 20 years of working on these carbs.

So, use the appropriate tool for the job; a non-tapered pin punch with a small hammer and tap the pin out delicately as brute force is not required or buy an automatic center punch which uses a controlled, spring loaded strike each and every time.

The tool pictured by Jonsey is a pretty good idea as it spreads the load over two posts. I can't tell if the tip of the screw is tapered or machined straight like a pin punch. The tool will take a little finesse or feel to use so to not snap of the top of both posts by applying too much pressure to the screw & pin.

Take the advice from me after seeing the miracles I have performance on my carbs from members here.
Sent RPM Randy the carbs...
Randy Raduechel is The Man
Carb sync help during the WCR rally? (Leon & Pat can tell you how well they were synced when they put the tool on, I believe more than a year after I built them)

Or Noel with, who I quote;

10.  Do people on the site ignore advice from someone with decades of full time experience [like me] in favour of back yarder's and shadetree mechanics? Yes.

Noel

At least this time we agree on something and no videos were required.

Randy - RPM

[ribbert]

Damn Doug and that photo.

I can't have that as the only photographic evidence of my mechanical prowess on the forum.

The Saab was a work in progress, here is what it looks like now, as well as mechanically A1.





By the way the automatic centre punch is a great idea. Not only for this job, they are one of those tools you find endless uses for.

There may be some who do not know what we are talking about.



Unlike the diagram above, they are small.

You push on the end with your hand, the spring pressure builds up and then releases with a sharp shock. It is adjustable. Great tool to have in the garage. They are not expensive.

Noel

[Arnie]

As Noel says, and Randy recommends, an automatic center punch is a great tool to have, and they are not expensive.

HOWEVER, don't cheap out and buy one from Harbor Freight for $2 or $3.  Go to a good tool shop and pay $10 or so.  The cheap Harbor Freight center punch will fall apart.  DAMHIKIJDOK

Arnie

[giantkiller]

Yah Randy I love my auto center punch. One of the best tools ever for us manual Fabricators. Never thought of using it for this. Too obvious? I guess. And I did try the harbor freight one, worked for a little while. Then I got a good one.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious Randy
Some times I can't see the forest for the trees

[FJ1100mjk]

And don't forget to put some KERNITE grease on those pins either. No more stuck pins or floats. 

[ribbert]

And don't forget to put some KERNITE grease on those pins either. No more stuck pins or floats. 

Isn't the petrol going to make short work of any grease in there?

I really think there is widespread misunderstanding about press fit pins being stuck or frozen pins, they're meant to be a tight fit.

Noel

[FJ1100mjk]

And don't forget to put some KERNITE grease on those pins either. No more stuck pins or floats. 

Isn't the petrol going to make short work of any grease in there?

Noel

My post was meant as a joke. Sorry.

I will go stand in the corner now.

[Pat Conlon]

I have a spring center punch too but it's the wrong size, too large.
You better make sure that puppy is in the right spot before you snap the spring...

I still like Jonesy's tool. A slow careful twist vs a quick snap. I'll think I'll make one when the time comes.
Should be fairly simple to make with a small piece of angle iron. The measurement on the spacing on the holes for the posts will have to be dead nuts so as to assure the force is spread evenly between the two posts.

No real need right now, the bikes are running in tip top shape. Randy just set up the carbs on my '84 and he would have my nuts nailed to the wall if I ever fiddled with them.

So Noel, fess up, what's the story on the tire tread?

[The General]

So Noel, fess up, what's the story on the tire tread?

http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=10617.15
(apologies Noel  )

[JMR]

 A good friend of mine can micro-weld broken float posts...it looks like miniature tig. Works great.
https://www.google.com/search?q=jim+french+micro+weld&client=firefox-a&hs=IxL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&imgil=0xfhCinvYjV4xM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcQXV8zVvbe9PR_zOXTx8CLZDr4yrHpwL22VoYLa4y2jHrNZdT-g%253B1023%253B764%253Bs_CAJ9b160IPYM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fforums.sohc4.net%25252Findex.php%25253Ftopic%2525253D118804.0&source=iu&usg=__IEzhYspB_qSnPzsQS6hI-p9dIsw%3D&sa=X&ei=oV7oUryTAqHLsQTfhID4Dg&ved=0CEMQ9QEwBQ&biw=1909&bih=886#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=0xfhCinvYjV4xM%253A%3Bs_CAJ9b160IPYM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fi770.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fxx345%252Fjfrenchsp2%252FIMG_0796.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fforums.sohc4.net%252Findex.php%253Ftopic%253D118804.0%3B1023%3B764

https://www.google.com/search?q=jim+french+micro+weld&client=firefox-a&hs=IxL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&imgil=0xfhCinvYjV4xM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcQXV8zVvbe9PR_zOXTx8CLZDr4yrHpwL22VoYLa4y2jHrNZdT-g%253B1023%253B764%253Bs_CAJ9b160IPYM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fforums.sohc4.net%25252Findex.php%25253Ftopic%2525253D118804.0&source=iu&usg=__IEzhYspB_qSnPzsQS6hI-p9dIsw%3D&sa=X&ei=oV7oUryTAqHLsQTfhID4Dg&ved=0CEMQ9QEwBQ&biw=1909&bih=886#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=XQeBs2mMVW3hVM%253A%3B88BaCbsuWwpI7M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fforums.sohc4.net%252Findex.php%25253Faction%25253Ddlattach%25253Btopic%25253D18649.0%25253Battach%25253D33050%25253Bimage%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fforums.sohc4.net%252Findex.php%253Ftopic%253D18649.0%3B250%3B187

https://www.google.com/search?q=jim+french+micro+weld&client=firefox-a&hs=IxL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&imgil=0xfhCinvYjV4xM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcQXV8zVvbe9PR_zOXTx8CLZDr4yrHpwL22VoYLa4y2jHrNZdT-g%253B1023%253B764%253Bs_CAJ9b160IPYM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fforums.sohc4.net%25252Findex.php%25253Ftopic%2525253D118804.0&source=iu&usg=__IEzhYspB_qSnPzsQS6hI-p9dIsw%3D&sa=X&ei=oV7oUryTAqHLsQTfhID4Dg&ved=0CEMQ9QEwBQ&biw=1909&bih=886#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=2bOV6Noq97RgxM%253A%3Bs_CAJ9b160IPYM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fi770.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fxx345%252Fjfrenchsp2%252FIMG_07941600x1200.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fforums.sohc4.net%252Findex.php%253Ftopic%253D118804.0%3B900%3B672